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Citi Double Cash versus Chase Freedom – A top cash-back card showdown

April 11, 2020
by
Jason Stauffer Jason Stauffer

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Jason StaufferMillion Mile Secrets Team

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Best sign-up bonus

The Citi Double Cash doesn’t currently have an introductory bonus offer. However, with the Chase Freedom you earn a $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 within the first three months of opening the card.

Best earning rate

The Chase Freedom earns 5% cash back on the first $1,500 spent per quarter in a rotating list of bonus categories, for the second quarter of 2020 (April-June) the bonus categories are grocery stores, select streaming services and fitness club memberships (activation required). Cardholders also earn 5% back on Lyft rides (through March 2022) and 1% back on all other purchases.

On the other hand, the Citi Double Cash earns 2% back: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay your bill. Earning 2% back on every purchase with a no-annual-fee card is hard to beat. The Chase Freedom card bonus categories can earn you an extra $300 per year if you max them out, but if you put all of your spending on a single card, you will come out ahead over the course of the year with the Citi Double Cash card.

Best redemption value

As stand-alone cards, both the Chase Freedom and Citi Double Cash have the same redemption value. After all, when you redeem cash back you get…cash. But you can pair these two with other cards and turn them into something more.

If you have to pick only one card, the decision comes down to whether or not you plan on pairing either of these cards with annual-fee cards so you can turn the rewards you earn into transferable points. The Citi Double Cash has a better overall earning rate, but the Chase Freedom has the potential to earn more valuable transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

N/A

13.99% - 23.99% (Variable)

$0

Yes

Rates & Fees

Other

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)